Results presented here are from an exit poll based on interviews with 3814 randomly selected voters leaving polling places across California today, as well a sample of 400 absentee voters interviewed by phone prior to the election. The exit poll was conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Washington Post and other news organizations. Exit poll data are based on voter samples and do not necessarily reflect final vote tallies. Election results are available here.

Total vote percentage is presented in a vertical column; all other data are presented horizontally.

Total

Recall Vote

Yes

No

Sex

Male

47%

59%

41%

Female

53%

51%

49%

Sex by Race

White Male

32%

64%

36%

White Female

37%

57%

43%

Non-White Male

15%

46%

54%

Non-White Female

15%

39%

61%

Race

White

69%

60%

40%

Black

6%

27%

73%

Hispanic

17%

46%

54%

Asian

3%

*

*

Other

4%

55%

45%

Age (4 Categories)

18-29

13%

52%

48%

30-44

30%

58%

42%

45-64

40%

54%

46%

65+

17%

54%

46%

Age (Age-65 & Over)

18-64

83%

55%

45%

65+

17%

54%

46%

Age (Age-60)

18-29

13%

52%

48%

30-44

30%

58%

42%

45-59

32%

54%

46%

60+

25%

54%

46%

Age (Age-65)

18-24

7%

55%

45%

25-29

6%

50%

50%

30-39

18%

56%

44%

40-49

24%

58%

42%

50-64

29%

53%

47%

65+

17%

54%

46%

Age (Age 4 categories) by Men

Men 18-29

15%

55%

45%

Men 30-44

29%

62%

38%

Men 45-64

41%

59%

41%

Men 65+

15%

56%

44%

Age (Age 4 categories) by Women

Women 18-29

11%

49%

51%

Women 30-44

32%

55%

45%

Women 45-64

39%

49%

51%

Women 65+

18%

52%

48%

Education

Did not complete high school

3%

*

*

High school grad

13%

61%

39%

Some college/associate degree

32%

59%

41%

College grad

28%

57%

43%

Postgraduate study

23%

45%

55%

Education

Non-college grad

49%

58%

42%

College grad or greater

51%

51%

49%

Education

High school or less

16%

58%

42%

Some college/Associate degree

32%

59%

41%

College grad or greater

51%

51%

49%

2002 Total Family Income

Under $15,000

5%

50%

50%

$15,000-$29,999

10%

46%

54%

$30,000-$49,999

17%

49%

51%

$50,000-$74,999

26%

56%

44%

$75,000-$99,999

18%

62%

38%

$100,000 or more

24%

57%

43%

No matter how you voted today, do you usually think of yourself as a...?

Democrat

39%

24%

76%

Republican

38%

88%

12%

Independent

17%

54%

46%

Something else

7%

51%

49%

Party ID (Collapsed)

Democrat

39%

24%

76%

Republican

38%

88%

12%

Independent or something else

23%

53%

47%

Party Affiliation

Male Democrat

16%

25%

75%

Male Republican

19%

88%

12%

Male Independent/Else

12%

56%

44%

Female Democrat

23%

23%

77%

Female Republican

18%

88%

12%

Female Independent/Else

11%

50%

50%

On most political matters, do you consider yourself...?

Very liberal

11%

16%

84%

Somewhat liberal

21%

29%

71%

Moderate

37%

56%

44%

Somewhat conservative

18%

84%

16%

Very conservative

13%

87%

13%

Political Ideology

Liberal

32%

24%

76%

Moderate

37%

56%

44%

Conservative

31%

85%

15%

Party by Political Ideology

Liberal Democrats

27%

16%

84%

Moderate/Conservative Democrats

23%

32%

68%

Liberal/Moderate Republicans

18%

83%

17%

Conservative Republicans

31%

91%

9%

Political Ideology by Sex

Male liberal

13%

24%

76%

Male moderate

17%

57%

43%

Male conservative

17%

88%

12%

Female liberal

19%

25%

75%

Female moderate

20%

55%

45%

Female conservative

14%

81%

19%

Do you or does someone in your household belong to a labor union?

I do

17%

45%

55%

Yes, someone else does

12%

57%

43%

Yes, I do and someone else does

3%

*

*

No one does

68%

58%

42%

Union Household

Union Household

32%

49%

51%

Non-union Household

68%

58%

42%

Union Member

Voter is a union member

20%

45%

55%

Someone in household is union member

12%

57%

43%

No union member in household

68%

58%

42%

Are you gay, lesbian or bisexual?

Yes

4%

42%

58%

No

96%

56%

44%

How often have you voted in previous elections?

Always

73%

55%

45%

Usually

22%

54%

46%

Rarely

3%

*

*

Never

3%

*

*

Frequency of past voting

Always/Usually vote

94%

54%

46%

Rarely/Never vote

6%

65%

35%

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Approve

49%

86%

14%

Disapprove

48%

22%

78%

No Answer

3%

*

*

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Gray Davis is handling his job as governor?

Strongly approve

6%

15%

85%

Somewhat approve

20%

9%

91%

Somewhat disapprove

23%

36%

64%

Strongly disapprove

48%

90%

10%

No Answer

2%

*

*

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Gray Davis is handling his job as governor?

Strongly/Somewhat approve

27%

10%

90%

Strongly/Somewhat disapprove

71%

72%

28%

No Answer

2%

*

*

Davis Approval/Recall vote

Approve of Davis job

27%

10%

90%

Disapprove of Davis job/NO on recall

20%

0%

100%

Disapprove of Davis job/YES on recall

53%

100%

0%

Is your opinion of Cruz Bustamante...?

Favorable

36%

20%

80%

Unfavorable

58%

77%

23%

No Answer

6%

54%

46%

Is your opinion of Tom McClintock...?

Favorable

53%

70%

30%

Unfavorable

38%

34%

66%

No Answer

9%

50%

50%

Is your opinion of Arnold Schwarzenegger...?

Favorable

50%

88%

12%

Unfavorable

45%

19%

81%

No Answer

5%

54%

46%

When did you finally decide how to vote within today"s election to recall Gray Davis?

Today

5%

47%

53%

In the last three days

5%

59%

41%

In the last week

6%

54%

46%

Within the last month

15%

56%

44%

More than a month ago

67%

55%

45%

Did not vote on the recall

2%

*

*

No Answer

1%

*

*

When did you finally decide how to vote in today's election to recall Gray Davis?

In the last three days

10%

53%

47%

Within the last week or earlier

89%

55%

45%

No Answer

1%

*

*

When did you finally decide how to vote in today's election to recall Gray Davis?

Within the last week

15%

53%

47%

Within the last month or earlier

83%

55%

45%

No Answer

1%

*

*

No matter how you voted today, which comes closer to your opinion about the recall process?

It was worth the cost

47%

92%

8%

It was a waste of money

49%

19%

81%

No Answer

4%

59%

41%

When voting today, did you experience any problems with the voting equipment or the length of the ballot?

Serious problems

2%

*

*

Minor problems

7%

41%

59%

No problems

87%

55%

45%

No Answer

4%

59%

41%

When voting today, did you experience any problems with the voting equipment or the length of the ballot?

Serious/Minor problems

9%

40%

60%

No problems

87%

55%

45%

No Answer

4%

59%

41%

Voting Equipment

Punch Card

35%

52%

48%

DRE/Touch Screen

5%

60%

40%

Optical Scan

34%

55%

45%

Absentee/Early Voters

25%

58%

42%

Voting Method

Punch Cards

35%

52%

48%

Other method

65%

57%

43%

Do you think the condition of California's economy is...?

Excellent

4%

59%

41%

Good

13%

39%

61%

Not so good

50%

49%

51%

Poor

33%

71%

29%

No Answer

1%

*

*

Do you think the condition of California's economy is...?

Excellent/Good

16%

43%

57%

Not so good/Poor

83%

57%

43%

No Answer

1%

*

*

Will California be able to resolve its budget deficit without raising taxes?

Yes

46%

71%

29%

No

48%

40%

60%

No Answer

6%

56%

44%

If these had been the only two candidates for governor on the ballot today, for whom would you have voted?

Cruz M. Bustamante

38%

11%

89%

Arnold Schwarzenegger

53%

90%

10%

Would not have voted for governor

9%

38%

62%

Which was more important in your vote for a new governor today?

My candidate's positions on the issues

58%

53%

47%

My candidate's leadership/personal qualities

36%

67%

33%

Did not vote for a new governor

6%

6%

6%

Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed the issues in enough detail?

Yes

31%

88%

12%

No

64%

38%

62%

No Answer

6%

64%

36%

Should the state government issue drivers licenses to illegal immigrants?

Yes

24%

22%

78%

No

70%

68%

32%

No Answer

6%

40%

60%

Which comes closest to your position? Abortion should be...

Legal in all cases

30%

40%

60%

Legal in most cases

35%

51%

49%

Illegal in most cases

20%

78%

22%

Illegal in all cases

10%

70%

30%

No Answer

6%

57%

43%

Which comes closest to your position? Abortion should be...

Legal in most/all cases

65%

46%

54%

Illegal in most/all cases

29%

75%

25%

No Answer

6%

57%

43%

How do you feel about California's new law extending domestic partner rights for gays and lesbians?